Fans are in for a treat in under a week, as Ms. Marvel will finally be hitting Disney+. Led by Iman Vellani, the series will see one of the most relatable MCU heroes come to life with fangirl Kamala Khan. The character is most known for her love of Captain Marvel, but it certainly doesn't stop there. So imagine what it must be like for that same person to end up getting powers of their own.
It's a situation almost everyone has undoubtedly daydreamed about at least once.
The show has been garnering great reactions from critics who have seen the first two episodes, even with the somewhat controversial changes to the character.
Vellani has even proven herself to be a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe outside of her on-screen character, with an intense love of Iron Man being a key part of that. The depths of her fandom seem endless, which is the perfect quality of someone who is going to become a leading superhero going forward.
Now, the actress has jokingly made claims that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness actually lied to everyone when it labeled the MCU as Earth-616, showing just how deeply she's invested in the story.
The MCU Multiverse Challenged
In an interview on the red carpet for Ms. Marvel, the series' star Iman Vellani jokingly challenged the new label the MCU was given in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Shortly after waking up in a glass box, Benedict Cumberbatch's sorcerer is notified that he is on Earth-838, while his original reality was Earth-616. Vellani joked that no matter what "Kevin Feige can make us think," the MCU "is [Earth-199999]:"
"No, I mean, I'd like to say, [the comics are] 616. I don't believe that the MCU is 616. As much as Kevin Feige can make us think that it's 616, it is 199999."
There's context missing from the brief snippet, but it's clear that the actress is addressing how Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness labeled the MCU-Prime universe as Earth 616. Vellani's problem is that, for nearly a whole century in Marvel Comics, Earth 616 has actually been the designation of the Marvel Comics' core reality, while Earth 199999 is the number denoting the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like many other hardcore fans, Vellani had clearly hoped that Marvel Studios would maintain the Multiverse continuity from the comics, but Multiverse of Madness proved that they had other plans.
On top of Vellani's character already being obsessed with Brie Larson's Captain Marvel when Ms. Marvel starts its six-episode run, it has been previously known that both heroes will meet up alongside Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau in the upcoming movie The Marvels, which will be released on July 28, 2023.
So Did Doctor Strange Lie?
Many fans were admittedly thrown off when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness labeled the prime MCU universe as Earth-616. Seeing as that's been the designation for the world of Marvel Comics, it was strange to see it simply stolen and attached to the Marvel Cinematic Universe—which already had already been numbered; Marvel Studios just had to use it.
Comments like these showcase just how big of a fan Iman Vellani is. She clearly keeps up with the comics and their continuity to be able to comment on the name change in the first place.
It's unlikely that there was any attempt to lie in the Multiverse of Madness; just some questionable decision-making at the most. The official designation for the MCU could always change. After all, maybe that's just the numbering system used on Earth-838—once they start getting labeled over in the original MCU reality, Marvel Studios could possibly back on it and use the number already given to them for multiple years.
Ms. Marvel hits Disney+ on June 8.
